Groutweed

Groutweed aka Goutweed

Aegopodium podagaria 'Variegatum' 

Also known as Goutweed, Bishop's weed, and Ground Elder among a few other local common names.

There is some confusion on the web concerning this herb as it is called Goutweed in 99% of references. However, I found a reference in the book Zone 5 by Robert, David, and Steven Waugh, in which it was called Groutweed with the scientific name of Aegopodium podagaria which is also the same scientific name as Goutweed. Herein, this is a lesson right off the bat that I teach all my herbal students - one can never rely on the common name for anything, so learn the scientific names!

Grout/Goutweed is more commonly used for gout and arthritis. The anti-inflammatory portion of the plant however, does lend itself useful to treat hemmorhoids as well. This is noted in Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition by James Duke, at Mountain Herb Estate and a few other little sites.

Here are a couple of photos of our little Aegopodium podagaria. 

Use of Aegopodium podagaria has fallen out of favor in modern times even though medicinally it still provides the same services. Leaves and roots are boiled together then used as a poultice on the affected area. This is good for arthritis, gout, sciatica, hemorrhoids, and the like. Taken internally Aegopodium podagaria acts as a diuretic and mild sedative.

Young leaves used to be eaten the same as spinach, providing they were picked prior to flowering when the leaves would begin to turn bitter. In fact, it is said to pick the youngest shoots before the leaves have even unfolded fully. The stem is also as much the vegetable more so than the leaves. Frying them up in olive oil the same way one would sauté spinach leaves is said to be the best way to bring out the flavor. Considering this plant is so invasive, one could potentially have a never-ending supply of greens to live off of.

The name Bishop's weed or Bishop's mantel came into play because it was found around monastery's quite often and is still found around monastic ruins. This is because monks used it medicinally quite often and is even referred to in monastic writings such as Phsyica by Hildegard von Bingen who was named Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.